Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
AQkle ioint brace 209 4~53
The invention relates to an ankle joint brace with a
dorsal leg shell extending over the back of the foot, which
can be fastened to the calf by means of strapping or something
similar.
Until a few years ago, the conservative treatment
provided for newly-caused lesions of the outer ligaments of
the ankle joint was, first of all, to immobilize the foot,
pronated and dorsally extended, in a plaster cast for about
two weeks until the swelling had largely subsided and then
place it in a lower-leg walking cast for a subsequent period
of about four weeks. For various reasons, a plaster treatment
of this type is generally considered today to be obsolete.
Thus, conservative care today is oriented toward functional
treatment.
Ankle joint braces available to date almost exclusively
surround the back of the foot, without extending farther
toward the sole of the foot. Solid splint components or
strappings are anchored on the damaged outer area of the ankle
joint, swollen by blood flow and lymphatic fluid, which can
irritate this sensitive region. However, the principal
problem is that plantar flexion is usually not restricted.
When shoes are equipped with ankle joint supports, the person
in question generally causes plantar flexion of the foot when
inserting it into the shoe, and thereby damages the ligaments
in the process of being healed, especially the talo-figulare
anterius ligament.
The tape dressing has proven its value in a functional
sense. It does indeed achieve firm support; on the other
hand, it has the disadvantage of the time and material
required to bind the dressing. Other disadvantages result
from the need to repeatedly replace the tapes, from a hygienic
point of view and from the necessity that the placement of the
tapes requires not only a great deal of time, but especially
sufficient experience as well.
The invention has the purpose of improving the function
and the construction of the ankle joint brace described at the
beginning.
~0~4~53
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in that a section of the leg shell extends forward, underneath
the sole of the foot and is sharply tapered in the area of the
outer ligaments of the ankle joint by a cut-out which leaves
the area free and that an elastic rubber tensioning strap
grips the leg shell with a dynamic pull, holding the outside
and bottom of the forward foot section of the shell on one
side and the inside and the top in the calf area; the leg
shell is bendable in dorsal extension and pronation, while the
tensioning strap restricts supination and plantar flexion.
Thus, according to one aspect of the invention there is
provided an ankle joint brace comprising: a dorsal leg shell
having a shape for extending over a back of a foot, which leg
shell is adapted to be fastened by strappings or similar
,devices to a calf; a frontal shell section extending from the
leg shell underneath a sole of the foot; and an elastic rubber
tensioning strap for exerting a dynamic pull, outward on the
frontal shell section and inward and above in a calf area, and
for restricting supination and plantar flexion; wherein the
leg shell is flexible in dorsal extension and pronation
because its shape is defined by a dorsal shell section taken
inward in an inner ligament area of the ankle joint with a
width which tapers sharply in a direction from calf to heel,
creating a cut-out portion which leaves the outer ligament
area of the ankle joint free.
According to another aspect of the invention there is
provided an ankle joint brace comprising: a dorsal leg having
a shape for extending over a back of a foot, which leg shell
is adapted to be fastened by strappings or similar devices to
a calf; a frontal shell section extending from the leg shell
underneath a sole of the foot; and an elastic rubber tension-
ing strap for exerting a dynamic pull, outward on the frontal
shell section and inward and above in a calf area and for
restricting supination and plantar flexion; wherein the leg
shell is flexible in dorsal extension and pronation; and
wherein in an area of the ankle joint outer ligaments, the leg
shell has a width which tapers sharply in a direction from
calf to the heel, creating a cut-out portion; wherein the
A
3 209~
tension in strap includes a band for simultaneously wrapping
around the foot to hold a front of the foot immobile; and
wherein, aside from the band holding the front of the foot,
said strappings or similar devices include only an instep
strap and a calf band.
This ankle joint brace in accordance with the invention
meets the requirements of conservative functional treatment,
for it permits free movement of the foot in dorsal extension
and pronation, while plantar flexion and pronation are
increasingly restricted as the extent of movement increases,
as a result of the dynamic pull exerted by the tensioning
strap. The area of the outer ligaments of the ankle is
completely spared.
It is particularly easy to put on the brace. The
tensioning strap can also be used to wrap around the front of
the foot to fix it in place. The only other components needed
for fastening are an instep strap and a calf band, which are
easy to fit and fasten with a Velcro fastening.
In order to permit it to be unrolled over the metatarsal
heads, it is advantageous if the section of the shell
extending to the front of the foot leaves the first metatarsal
head free even when it covers the sole of the foot as far as
the bottom of the front of the foot.
While previously known embodiments kept the foot fixed
in a specific position, by means of a half-shell-shaped leg
shell holding the calf and the foot on both sides to the sole
of the foot, for example, the structure of the solution in
accordance with the invention operates dynamically, and gives
rise to a constant pull in the direction of the therapeutic
position when the foot is relaxed. In this way, the ideal
position is ensured for the foot of an athlete who is in an
unconscious condition,while the greatest possible freedom is
ensured for the practice of athletic activity.
Other characteristics of the invention are the object
of the sub-claims and will be described in greater detail in
connection with further advantages of the invention, on the
basis of an explanatory example.
4 2094653
The drawings show an embodiment of the invention used as
an example. In the drawings:
Figure 1 is an inside view of one embodiment of an ankle
joint brace fastened to the calf and/or the foot; and
Figure 2 is an outside view of the embodiment in
accordance with Figure 1.
The ankle joint brace illustrated exhibits a dorsal leg
shell 1 extending over the back of the foot which extends into
a front shell section 2 underneath the sole of the foot and
which is taken inward and tapered sharply toward the back,
creating a cut-out 4 which leaves the outer ligament area 3 of
the ankle joint free. The ankle joint brace in accordance
with the invention also includes an elastic rubber tensioning
strap 5, which holds the leg shell 1 with a dynamic pull,
underneath and outward on the frontal shell section 2 on one
side and inward and above in the calf area on the other side.
The tensioning strap 5 thus runs in a ventral diagonal. The
leg shell 1 is flexible in dorsal extension and pronation
because of its shape, while the tensioning strap 5 restricts
supination and plantar flexion.
In the embodiment illustrated, the tensioning strap 5
simultaneously serves as a strap 7 to hold the front o~ the
foot 6 in place. The ankle joint brace can be further
fastened by an instep strap 8 and a calf band 9 which can
both be secured by a velcro or similar type of fastener.
In Figure 1, the~arrow 10 indicates the inner edge of the
foot, while in Figure 2 the arrow 11 points to the outer edge
of the foot. A comparison of Figures 1 and 2 makes it clear
that the leg shell 1 holds the calf 12 only on the dorsal and
inner sides, and that the outer side of the calf 12 is left
mainly free. Because of the large cut-out 4 designed in the
area of the ankle joint outer ligament 3, a relatively
narrowly-constructed shell connecting strip 13 is formed,
lying mainly on the inner side of the foot, which bends
elastically and gives the leg shell 1 inherent tension.
The leg shell 1 is composed preferably of a thermoplastic
synthetic and is can therefore be post-formed and individually
fitted as a result. It can be worn inside a shoe.
